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Nonprofit organizations that serve residents of Newport County’s six cities and towns have until February 9 to apply for nearly $290,000 in grants from the Rhode Island Foundation.

“These grants focus on serving the distinct needs of the residents of these communities. This is an opportunity for nonprofits to bring new resources to their missions," said Adrian Bonéy, the grant programs officer who manages the Foundation’s Newport County Fund (NCF).

NCF offers grants of up to $10,000 to develop new programs, to strengthen or expand established programs and for municipal planning or leadership. Applicants should focus on significant problems or opportunities, strategic partnerships or collaborations, innovation and measuring results.

The program does not fund individuals or scholarships, medical research, debt reduction or fundraising. Grants may support faith-based organizations for secular programs or projects. These are annual grants; NCF does not make multi-year commitments. Grant requests should be for activities that will start in late May or later, as notification to applicants will occur in mid-May.

Last year’s recipients include the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center in Newport to support its after-school programs for children, Lucy's Hearth for an on-site counselor during the evening and overnight hours at its Middletown shelter, the Katie Brown Educational Program for relationship violence prevention education in Portsmouth and Tiverton schools; and the Jamestown Community Food Pantry.

Over the years, the NCF has invested $5.3 million in funding programs and services for residents of Jamestown, Little Compton, Middletown, Newport, Portsmouth and Tiverton. The fund is supplemented by the Jamestown Community Fund and the Jamestown Fund for the Performing Arts.

“We work with an advisory committee of residents from every Newport County community in order to provide the structure and context to address local priorities," said Bonéy.

NCF is just one of the grant programs the Foundation uses to support nonprofits that serve the Newport County communities. For example, the Foundation’s COVID-19 Response Fund and the ARPA Nonprofit Support Program have awarded grants to provide services throughout Newport County since the pandemic began in March 2020.

The Rhode Island Foundation is the largest and most comprehensive funder of nonprofit organizations in Rhode Island. Through leadership, fundraising and grant-making activities, often in partnership with individuals and organizations, the Foundation is helping Rhode Island reach its true potential.